Bologna sack Domenico Tedesco after four games, appoint Raffaele Palladino

Rapid dismissal at Casteldebole

Bologna FC 1909 released head coach Domenico Tedesco on Wednesday morning following a run of poor results across the opening month of the domestic campaign. The German-Italian manager had been appointed in June 2026 after previous managerial appointments with Fenerbahce and the Belgium national team. Tedesco held a contract valued at 2 million euros per year plus bonuses that had been scheduled to run through 30 June 2028, concluding his tenure after four months in Emilia-Romagna. The club hierarchy finalized their decision following a face-to-face meeting held with the coach at the Casteldebole training ground on Tuesday morning. Tedesco collected his personal belongings from the facility on Wednesday before speaking briefly with reporters outside the gates.

I am sorry and bitter, I would have liked to repay the city for the affection I received.

On-pitch struggles and league position

Tedesco oversaw one draw and three defeats during his four Serie A fixtures on the Bologna bench, during which the team scored two goals. Bologna opened their league season with a 1-0 home loss against Lazio, followed by consecutive one-goal away defeats against Atalanta and Napoli. Their only point of the campaign arrived in a home draw against Sassuolo. The single point leaves Bologna in 16th place in the 20-team Serie A table, sitting fourth from the bottom of the division. When questioned about the Tuesday meeting that led to the termination of his contract, Tedesco declined to reveal specific details of the discussion with club executives.

What we said to each other stays between us, nothing special happened, this is football.

Palladino appointed on multi-year deal

Bologna moved swiftly to replace Tedesco by securing former Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino on a contract running through 30 June 2029. Club directors conducted negotiations on Tuesday evening to finalize terms before issuing an official statement on Wednesday morning. The club organized Palladino's first training session for 16:00 on Wednesday afternoon at the Casteldebole technical complex. Assistant coach Andrea Tarozzi had been prepared to oversee an earlier 11:00 morning session in the event that contract talks experienced delays. In their formal announcement, Bologna extended their gratitude to Tedesco and his technical staff for their professionalism and competence while wishing them success in future roles.

Serie A landscape and managerial track record

Palladino takes charge ahead of a home league fixture against Torino scheduled for Saturday. The Italian tactician started his senior managerial career with a two-year tenure at Monza before moving to Fiorentina in 2024. In November of last season, Palladino assumed control at Atalanta, spending seven months in Bergamo and guiding the team to a seventh-place finish with three points more than eighth-placed Bologna. Tedesco's dismissal represents the second managerial change in Serie A during the early phase of the season, following Fiorentina's decision to part ways with Fabio Grosso and reinstate Paolo Vanoli. At the top of the table, Roma currently lead the Italian division with a perfect tally of 12 points from four matches.